Party-line telephone system.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

T. L.' WILLSON. PARTY LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOH FILED HAY 28, 1907.

FIG. 5.

mvsuron I. L WILLODN wrrussasa s v" rm a it its th n .si. ind nae THOMAS LnoPoLD WILLsos, or orrAWA, onmnro, CANADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed may .28, 1907. Serial No. 376,187.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS LEoroLD Wrrrson, of the city of Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, Province'of Ontario, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Party-Line Telephone Systion.

My invention relates to telephone sub-stations, where a plurality of-telephones are connected in multiple with the outside line, and its objects are to. provide sim 1e and efiectiv e means operated automation. y by the use of use.

any one telephone for cuttin out the remainder or operating a busy. signal before them.

I am aware that in party line systems, various forms of automatic devices are used, both to display a busy or like signal, and also to lock outthe party telephones not in in these, however, the main line is made use of in whole or in part to carry the signaling current, and -th1s necessitates a considerable amount of apparatus to prevent interference with the telephone circuits.

My invention, which is applied only to a plurality of tele bones, which are located within a short istance of each other, employs an independent signaling circuit on separate GOi'HluClZ-OI'S, and having a different source oi power from that of the telephone circuitssvhereby, its operation is entire y distinct therefrom. This use of the independent signaling circuit enables my device to be a plied with great readiness to any system alieady installed, without, in any way, interfering with the internal connections thereof.

An embodiment of the invention is described more fully in detail, in the accompanying specifications and drawings.

in the. drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram-- matic view showing the connections with the receiver off the hook of one tele hone. Fig. 2 is the same connection with a l the receivers on. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the alternative form of the invention.

Referring first, to the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, A is the outside line,-and B, C and D are a plurality of telephone circuits connected in parallel across the same and receiver ho rately, the tilting these, when the re plete, and a plurality of pairs of leads 9 ceiver is removed, is made use of in my sys tem, to complete the auxiliary signaling circuit.

E is the primary auxiliary signaling circuit, which comprises a conductor 9 connected to one side of the battery h, and a second conductor 11 connected to the opposite side This'circuit is normally incom- Zm; no; lead from opposite sides of the circuit to corresponding pairs of contact oints pg; rs; tu; each pair of which are so isposcd with reference to the respective receiver hooks d, e andf that the tilting of any one oi the hooks will connect the pair of contact points corresponding thereto, and so complete the auxiliary circuit, through the medium of the leads connectedthercto.

' The completion of the auxiliary signaling circuit is caused to automatically throw out the circuits of the remaining telephones not in use, and the meansl show for effecting this, are substantially as follows: Connected in series in the circuit E are a lurality of electromagnets o, w and 0:, whicli, when onergized, are adapted to com lete secondary signaling circuits F, G and I, through the medium of armatures 3 and contact points 4, in each of the circuits. Each of the circuits F and G are the same and comprise batteries 5, electro-magnets 6 and 7, armatures 8, contact oints 9, armatures 3 and contact oints 4, al connected in series as illustrated.

o-acting with theelctro-magnets 6 are armatuies 10'and contact points )laced in each of the tele hone circuits B, and D, whereby when t 1e elcctro-magncts 6 are energized, it will lift the armature and so break the circuits B, C and l). C o-acting with the armaturcs 8 are electro-magncts 12 connected in series with the leads in, m and 0, and adapted, when energized, to lift the arma ture 8 oil the contact point 9 and so break the circuits F, G, or H, in which the armatures are located. (Jo-acting with the electro-magnet 7 are s armatures 13 and contact points 14 connectedin series, in the leads k,

m and 0, whereby, when the electro-magnet 7 is energized, it will raise the armatures and places break in the leads.

Having now described the various parts of the system I will briefly point out the method of operation of "the same: Assuming that the I'GGGIVGI has been taken down from the tele phone in the circuit B, this will connect the contact points 32 and g, and so complete the primary auxiliary circuit E, energizing the electro-magnets v, w and a: in the circuit E and the magnet 12 in the lead is. The ener gizing of the electro-magnets w and a: will raise the armatures 3 and complete the circuits G and I l, which, energizing the electromagnet 6, will lift the armatures 10 in the circuits C and D, and place breaks in these circuits. Further the energizing of the elcctro-magnet 7 will raise the armatures 13 in the leads m and 0, and prevent any current passing therethrough to energize the electromagnets 12 in these leads, which, if it took place, would result in the breaking of the circuits G and H, through the armatures 8 and this would allow the tele hones corresponding to these circuits, to e used.

' The completion of the circuit F, which corres ends to the telephone circuit B is prevente by the operation of the electro-mag net 12, which raises the armature 8 oii the contact point 9 and so prevents completion of the circuit F. It will thus be seen that as long as the telephone circuit B is in use, it is impossible to use either of the telephone circuits C or I). The electro-magnets 12 in the leads serve to prevent the completion of the secondar signaling circuits, corresponding to the to ephone bein used, and the electromagnets 7 co-act wit 1 the armature 13 and contact point 14 to prevent an interruption of these secondary circuits by the energizing of the electro-magnets 12 in those circuits, which are not being used In the alternative form of invention illus-' trated in Fig. 3, the main circuit A and the separate telephone circuits B, C and D are the same, as are also the circuit E, the leads '76; lm; no; and contact points pg; 1's; ta.

he electro-magnets v, w and :12, are, however, replaced by drop announciators 15, 16 and 17, or other suitable form of signaling devices, which are located near the telephones in the circuits B, C and D. When the telephone receiver -correspondin r to one of the circuits B, C or I) is remove it will complete the si naling circuit E through the medium of the eads andc'ontact points corresponding to that particular telephone cirunit and thus will operate all the drop annunciators 1.5, 16 and 17, and so place a signal at all the telephones, that one telephone is, at that time, in use.

The invention will be found of great use in business ollices, where for example, two

'or three desk telephones are employed connected in multiple, to the same outside circuit.

The arrangement is simple in the extreme and being operated by an independent signaling circuit may be ap lied to any form of system already insta ed without in any way, interfering with the operation thereof. It depends, for its operation, on the mechanical movement of the telephone receiver 'telep ones, separate pairs of leads extending hook, and thus, in no wise, interferes with the internal connection of the telephone cir cuits. It will be readily understood, how

ever, that it is not essential that the telephone hooks should be used for the completion of the signaling circuit, but in the present state of the art, this appears to be the simplest automatic movement \which can be made use of. The exact connections employed to enable the signaling circuit to automatically cut out the telephone circuits not in use, are sim ly one form of many which mightbe utilized to accomplish this purpose.

While, therefore, the invention has been described, for the sake of clearn'ess, with great particularity of detail, yet it willbe readily understood that in carrying out the, same, changes may be made therein, Without departing from the spirit of the invention. r

What I claim as my invention is;-

1. In a telephone sub-station, the combination with a lurality of telephones coiiie' bination with a lurality of telephones corinected in multip e of an auxiliary inde endent signaling circuit, normally incomp eted, a plurality of pairs of leads extending from opposite sides of the auxiliary circuit to the respective telephones, means operated by the use of any one telephone for connecting the pair of leads corresponding thereto, and means operated by the completion of the signaling circuit for cutting out the tele phones not in use.

3. In a telephone sub-station, the combination with a plurality of telephones connected in multiple, of a signaling circuit indepen ent of the main line, automatically completed by the use rimary auxiliary of any one telephone, electrounagnets in tact oints corresponding to the number of circuits normally inco'mpleted, means operand for the urpose specified.

armatures and contact therewith to complete the secondary signaltact from opposite sides of the incompleted primary signaling circuit to the respective contact'points, means operated by the use of any telephone for connecting the contact points corres ending thereto, whereby the primary auxi iary signaling circuit iscor ne pleted, a plurality of secondary signaling ated by the completion of the primary sig-- naling circuit for completingmaach of the secondary signaling circuits, means operated by the completion of the secondary circuits for placing a break in eachof the telephone circuits and means'in one of each of the pairs of leads operated by the passage of a current therethrough, for automatically breaking the secondary signaling circuit corres ending to the telephone to which that lead elongs, as

5. In a te ephonesub-station, the co1nbination with a plurality of tele hones con nected in multiple, of an auxi iary incorripleted primary signaling circuit independent of the main line, aplurality of pairs of conoints corresponding to the number of telep ones, separatefpairs of leads extending from opposite sides of the incom'pleted primary signaling circuit to the respective contact points, means operated-by the use of any one telephone for connecting the contact points corresponding thereto, whereby the auxiliary signaling circuit is completed, a plurality of secondary signaling circuits normally incompleted, a plurality of electromagnets in the primary signaling circuits, points co-acting ing circuits when the elcctro-ma'gnets are? energized, electro-magnets in the secondary l signaling circuits, armaturcs and contact points co-acting therewith to place breaks in the circuits of the ditl'erent telephones, an,

electro-magnet in one of each pair of leadsg armaturcs and contact points co-actin'g therewith to break the secondary signaling circuits corresponding to that particular lead, when the electro-magnet therein is energized, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a telephone sub-station, the combination with a plurality ol" tcle hones con nccted in multiple, of an auxil iary incom pleted primary signaling circuit, a plurality of pairs of contact points cm'responding to the number of telephones, separate pairs of leads extending from opposite sides of the incomplctcd primary signaling circuit to the l respective contact points, means operated by l the use ol any one telephone for connecting I the contact points corresponding thereto,

whereby'the auxiliary signaling circuit isl incompleted, a plurality of secondary signaling circuits, armatures and contact points eo-acting therewith to complete the secondary'. signaling circuits when the electro magnets are energized, electro-magnets in the secondary signaling circuits, armatures and contact points co-acting therewith, to place' breaks in the circuits of the different telephones, an electro-magnet in one of each pair of leads,'armatures and contact points co-acting therewith to break the secondary signaling circuits corresponding to that particular lead, when the electro-magnet therein is energized, second electro-magnetsin the signaling circuits, a'rmatures and contact points ce-aeting therewith, adapted to place a'break in the leads when the electro-magnet is energized, as and for the purpose specified.-

7. In a telephone sub-station, the combination with a plurality of telephones connected in multiple, of an auxiliary primary inconipleted circuit independent of the main line, a plurality of separate pairs of leads extending from opposite sides of the incoinpleted auxiliary circuit to the different tele.

phones, means operated by the use of any one telephone for connecting the leads corresponding thereto, a plurality of secondary signaling circuits normally incompleted,

means operated by the completion of the primary signaling circuits for completin each of the secondary signaling circuits an means operated by the completion of-the secondary signaling circuits for both breaking the circuits of the telephones corresponding thereto, and placmg breaks 111 the leads eX- tending between these telephones and the primary signaling circuits, as and for the purpose specified. i

8. In a telephone substation having a plurality of telephones connected'in multiple, the combination with the telephone receiver hooks, of an auxiliary signaling circuit nor mally incompleted, independent of the main line and having a separate source of power therefrom leads extending from both sides of the said circuit to the respective telephones, and means operated by the tilting of the hooks forconnecting the leads corresponding to that telephone, as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at the city of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, this 19th day of May, 1907.

THOMAS LEOPOLD WI'LLSON.

'itnesses:

RUSSEL 0. SMART, M. C. Lrox. 

